Power conversion apparatus



p 1952 A. P. HENRY 2,611,324

POWER CONVERSION APPARATUS Filed Nov. 50, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 mwszvron 61505705 I? HENEY A. P. HENRY POWER CONVERSION APPARATUS Sept. 23, 1952 Filed Nov. 30, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Hususrus P HENRY MW.M v ATTORNEY Sept. 23, 1952 A. P. HENRY POWER CONVERSION APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 30, 1950 INVENTOR. Huausrus P Have) Sept, 23, 1952 HENRY 2,611,324

POWER CONVERSION APPARATUS Filed Nov. 50, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Huausrus P HEN/27 HTTOENE Y Patented Sept. 23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 25611324 rowan CONVERSION APPARATUS Augustus P. Henry, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 3i), i950, SerialNo. 198,297 Claims. (01. 103-161) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in power conversion apparatus.

By a power conversion apparatus, as that phrase is used herein, is meant either an apparatus which in response to an input of mechanical force operates for the conveyance and/ or compression of a fluid, or an apparatus which operates for the delivery of mechanical power consequent upon the delivery thereto and/ or the action therein of a fluid under pressure.

Said fluid may be a liquid, but it need not be.

As will appear later, the present invention is of utility in connection with pumps, compressors, fluid motors, internal combustion engines, steam engines, etc.

In any of the connections just above referred to, a cardinal object of the invention is to provide a novel and valuable combination of parts which I herein call a reciprocator unit. Included in said combination of parts is aplurality of relatively movable elements certain of which are pistons and others of which are cylinder barrels, with these pistons and cylinder barrels so formed and disposed that during operation of an apparatus pursuant to the invention, as a pump or a motor or for any other of the possible uses of the invention, there is a relative movement between each piston and a bore therefor in an associated cylinder barrel which is a combined reciprocation and rotation. At the same time, the pistons of the reciprocator unit are of rectilinear extension.

This combined reciprocationand rotation is ideal from a wear standpoint. It is a highly desirable feature, also, for a pump adapted to extreme high pressure (higher than 3000' p. s. i.)

Yet, because the pistons are of rectilinear extension, other highly important advantages are secured. For one thing, there is no needto include universal joints, or pivotally to interconnect a pair of pistons each for a field of movement oppositely located relative to that of the other, or to use any articulation in regard to any piston. For another, there is no necessity for the use of swash plates and the like. Consequently,-

a power conversion apparatus of marked simplicity and ruggedness may be provided pursuant to the invention.

Furthermore, as will later become clear, there is such coaction between the pistonsand the cylinder barrels of the reciprocator unit, and there is possible such an operative connection between the cylinder barrels and a shaft (this shaft the power input shaft for, say, a pump, or the power take-01f shaft for, say, a fluid motor), that connesting rods also are eliminated.

By virtue of the above advantages, and particularly because of the elimination of connecting rods and because porting and valving are free from mechanical noises, there are 1 .0 cl ck g in certain installations. This noiselessness of operation is vitally important for submarine boat use, where the transmission of mechanical noises through the water is something to be avoided, as far as possible, at all costs.

Another advantage of the new reciprocator unit is that there is a unique relationship between the parts thereof in that there is only one way the parts can go together, so that the new unit can be assembled as below described. Thus any mechanics mistake in assembly is virtually impossible. The point here made is true of a reciprocator unit whether having only two pistons or a plurality of pairs of pistons.

The working fluid can be liquid, gas or vapor.

In exemplification of the broad principles of the invention, various now approved of the many possible embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a perspective view, partially broken away and partially in section, showing, in a re ciprocator unit according to the invention, and one of the type including two pairs of pistons, those portions of said unit comprising said piston pairs, their complementary pairs of cylinder barrels, a shaft (for input or output, as aforesaid), and spur and bevel gear connections.

Fig. 2, a view in top plan, partially broken away and partially in section, shows on a reduced scale a unit of the kind illustrated in Fig. 1, butwith said unit now depicted as inclusive, also, of its casing, the valve plates at the outer ends of the cylinder barrels, and conduits for connection to exterior plumbing.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. i is a perspective view, analogous to Fig. 1, for showing a manner of'joining two units, with each of said units like that shown in Fig. 1, whereby said units may be assembled to-establish a phase displacement of as between the two units to avoid a dead center possibility when the device, is usedas a servo-motor or the like; this view being an exploded one in so far as are concerned the upper and lower cylinder barrels at the extreme. right and their respective valve plates.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view, which later on will be explained.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, partially broken away and partially in section, and with certain omitted portions indicated in dot and dash, of a reciprocator unit according to the invention, and one of the type including one pair of pistons.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, and first to Fig. 1, the reference numeral 1 designates the aforesaid input'or output shaft.

Assuming that the reciprocator unit illustrated in Fig. 1 is part of a pump, shaft I would be the drive shaft for imparting rotary movement to the four cylinder barrels shown. Said pump, as will be understood, would be provided with suitable valve plates, or equivalents the valve ports of which would be interconnected in conventional manner.

Rotating with the shaft I are spur gears 2 and 3, respectively meshing with spur gears 4 and 5. Said gears 4 and 5 are respectively carried by each of two cylinder barrels 6 and I which together constitute one of the two pairs of cylinder barrels here present. Bevel gear pairs 8 and 9 are also included; said pair 8 for transmitting rotary motion from cylinder barrel 6 to a third cylinder barrel I9, and said'pair 9 for transmitting rotary motion to a fourth cylinder barrel II which with said barrel I constitutes the other of said two pairs of cylinder barrels.

Thus, assuming the cylinder barrel 6 is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown thereon in Fig. 5, the other three cylinder barrels I, I0 and II, are simultaneously rotated in the directions of the arrows shown thereon in Fig. 5.

The bevel gear pair 9 is of a different pitch diameter than the bevel gear pair 8, to avoid mechanical interference. At the same time, however, the bevel bear ratio 8 is one to one, as is also the bevel gear ratio 9. Therefore, all four cylinder barrels are rotated at the same speed.

Each cylinder barrel has therein a bore which is parallel to but displaced from the longitudinal axis of the cylinder barrel about which the latter rotates. Said cylinder barrel is suitably constrained thus to rotate, without possibility of movement longitudinally of said axis; as by the aid of suitable anti-friction means. In each cylinder barrel its said bore provides a cylindrical chamber eccentric to the axis of rotation of the cylinder barrel; said chamber in each of the cylinder barrels being exactly like that shown at I2.

Each of the cylindrical chambers I2 is for having reciprocated therein one of four pistons l3, I4, I and I6, forming rigid parts of a cruciform structure, wherein the said pistons diverge from a central portion 11 of said structure, each piston at a 90 angle relative to another. The four pistons, all identical, have their axes coplanar and all intersecting at acommon point.

The meshing of the teeth of spur gears 2 and 4, and the meshing of the teeth of spur gears 3 and 5, and the meshing of the teeth of the bevel gear pair 8, and the meshing of the teeth of the bevel gear pair 9, are such that when the bore establishing the cylindrical chamber I2 of the cylinder barrel 6 is at the top of its rise vertically above the axis of rotation of said cylinder barrel, the corresponding bores of the other three cylinder barrels are likewise at their high points. Hence, assembly of the unit cannot be effected unless following assembly the simultaneous arrival of all four of said bores at their points of maximum rise is automatically predetermined to occur once during each full 360 rotation of the four cylinder barrels. Such predetermination necessarily follows from the fact that all four pistons are fixed relative to each other.

By power drive from the shaft I, the four cylinder barrels are synchronously rotated, all at the same speed as already stated, and in such wise as to cause'continuous motion of the cruciform structure including the four pistons.

Referring at this juncture again passingly to Fig. 5, this view is for giving a schematic representation of the movement of a point C i th dimensional space. Said point C is the point of intersection of the center lines of all four pistons. Point a is the projection of point C on the face of cylinder barrel I0. Point I) is the projection of point C on the face of cylinder barrel 6. Since points a and b are constrained to move in circular paths (indicated by the arrows) in synchronism with one another, point C is constrained to move in an elliptical path in three dimensional space. Because in this isometric view both the major and minor axes of the ellipse lie in the same plane, which plane is perpendicular to the plane of the paper, the ellipse appears as the straight line S.

Said elliptical path lies in a plane perpendicular to the plane containing the center lines of all the pistons, and displaced 45 from the center lines common to both pairs of oppositely located pistons.

The result is that there is simultaneous reciprocation of said two piston pairs along two perpendicular axes.

In this connection, and reverting now to Fig. 1, it is to be noted that the motion of each piston I3, I4, I5 or I6 is, as hereinabove stated, the equivalent of a combined reciprocating and rotary motion of that piston relative to the cylinder barrel 6, I, I0 or H complementary thereto. That is to say, simultaneously with the reciprocation of any piston l3, I4, IE or I6, there is a rise and drop of that piston and also a relative rotary movement between said piston and its complementary cylinder barrel, due to that barrels rotation about its longitudinal axis offset from the center line of the piston. On the other hand, the reciprocation of any piston is also a function of the rotation of a cylinder barrel; not of the cylinder barrel (say the barrel I8) within the chamber I2 of which is that piston, but of the pair of cylinder barrels (that is, the barrels 6 and l') at right angles to the barrel I0. In other words, the reciprocations of the pistons I4 and I6 are caused by rotation of the cylinder barrels I8 and II, while the simultaneously occuring reciprocations of the pistons I3 and I5 are caused by rotation of the cylinder barrels 6 and I.

While the motion of each piston is, as above stated, the equivalent of a combined reciprocating and rotary motion of that piston relative to its complementary cylinder barrel, actually what occurs is that while a piston is reciprocating relative to its cylinder barrel that cylinder barrel is rotating relative to the piston and meanwhile transporting said piston through a circular path concentric with the axis of rotation of the cylinder barrel.

Thus, in the case of each piston, during each revolution of its associated cylinder barrel, the cylindrical chamber I2 of that barrel, over its length between the outer end of the piston and the outer end of the chamber, varies sinusoidally from a maximum to a minimum and back to a maximum. Also, as one piston of each pair I3 and I5 or I 4 and I6 thereof moves toward the outer end of the chamber I2 of its complementary cylinder barrel, the other piston of that pair moves away from the outer end of the chamber I2 of its complementary cylinder barrel. Each of the four chambers I2 has a port I8, two of which ports are seen in the drawing, by way of which said chamber may be connected to conventional valving means.

When the reciprocator unit is part of a pump, the shaft I would be a driving shaft; and then,

which one pair of pistons working in the bores of two cylinder barrels directly geared together (e. g., the pistons l3 and [5 working in, respectively, the cylinder barrels H3 and E) are, pumping, the other pair of pistons are sucking in; and

vice versa. v Similarly, with the reciprocator unit part of a motor, and so with the shaft I a power take-off instrumentality to be driven by the four cylinder barrels, this drive is set up via fluid thrust against the pistons by properly timed delivery of fluid under pressure to the various chambers 12, in the case of each at the instant when the piston therein is at the outer limit of its stroke; with, of course, accompanying discharge of said fluid from the chambers 12, wherein at said instant the pistons therein are at the inner limits of their strokes and ready to reverse direction.

For coacting with the fluid entry and discharge port it of each cylinder barrel, the conventional valving means hereinabove referred to may coniprise a valve plate of a kind such as'those shown in Fig. 4 at IS; with one'of'those valve plates placed against the fiat surface at the outer end of each cylinder barrel and there suitably held fixed so that the port it of said cylinder barrel moves in a circle over the two arcuate ports 2R3 and 2! in the valve plate. I

In the case of each cylinder barrel, as its port it moves over the upper arcuate port 26 of the associated valve plate the piston in that barrel is performing'its stroke in one direction, and as. said port l8 moves over the port 25 of said plate said piston is performing its stroke in the op-,

posite direction. The two fiat surfaces of the valve plate between the two arcuate ports thereof are traversed by said port it while said piston is reversing direction, and are commutation points separating the high pressure side from the low pressure side of the reciprocator unit. As will be understood, if the plumbing exterior to the unit is such that the ports E8 of the cylinder barrels 6 and it make connection with. the high pressure side when said ports move over the arcuate ports 2% of the valve plates associated with said two cylinder barrels, said plumbing will be such that the ports l5 of'the cylinder barrels l and l I make connection'with the low pressure side when said ports move over the arcuate ports 26 of the valve plates associated with the cylinder barrels l and ii and similarly, as to the relationship between the ports 2! of the valve plates and said plumbing.

It need hardly be added, of course, that if, when the reciprocator unit is part of a pump the arcuate slots 20 and 2! of the valve plates associated with either pair of cylinder barrels directly geared together (as the pair 5 and it, or the pair i and I!) would be respectively connected, for instance, to the high pressure side and to the low pressure side, then when the unit is part of a motor to have the directions of rotation indicated in Fig. 5 said slots 2H and 2% would be respectively connected to the low pressure side and to the high pressure side. I

In regard to the plumbing just above referred to, conduits which may be inbuilt in the unit of the invention for connection to such plumbing are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, to which refer ence should now be made.

In these views, as already stated in the brief descriptions of the figures of the drawings, the reciprocator unit of Fig. 1 is depicted as inclusive, also, of its casing, the valve plates at the outer ends of the cylinder barrels, andsaid conduits.

It will be noted that, so far as areconcerned the parts shown in both'Figs. 1 and 2, the assembly of Fig. 2 is exactly the same as that of Fig. 1; except that whereas in Fig. 1' the cylinder barrels 8 and ID are illustrated as directly geared together and the cylinder'barrels l and ii are illustrated as directly geared together, in Fig. 2 the cylinder barrels 5 and H are illustrated as directly geared together as at 8' and the cylinder barrels T and H! are illustrated as directly geared together as at 9.

End caps 22 contain the four valve plates of the kind shown at It) in Fig. 4 as previously described. The casing is designated 23, and at it is shown an oil seal for the shaft At 25 is indicated one of the bearings for the said shaft. Bearings for the cylinder barrel 6 are designated 25, 26. As is partially shown in Fig. 2, bearings corresponding to the bearings 28 are provided for each of the other three cylinder barrels.

In Fig. 3, the aforesaid arcuate ports 20 and 23 of'avalve plate are shown in broken lines. v Exterior conduits, as parts of the unit distinguished from the exterior plumbing to high pressure and return when the reciprocator unit is used as a motor, or suction and high pressure when the reciprocator unit is used as a pump, are shown at 21, 28, 29, 30, 3! and 32; with the conduit 29 lying below and paralleling the conduit 21 just as the conduit 30 lies below and parallels the conduit 28 as shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 2, there is a mutual cross-=over as between the conduits 3i and 32. r I

As will be understood, diametral clearancesand surface finishes of and between the pistons and mating cylinder boresshould be maintained such that the mating parts are held to intimate contact and the volumes of liquid beyond the outer ends of the pistons are isolated from other components of the reciprocator unit.

It is to be notedthat only when the reciprocator unit is part of a servo-motor is there presented any possibility of a dead center condition happening to exist at the instant when starting up of operation is attempted. As already stated, Fig. 4 illustrates an arrangement to insure that such a dead center condition may never exist in a servo-motor pursuant to the invention; the structure here shown comprising two units joined in such manner that there is a phase displacement of as between the two units.

Said structure incorporates, in addition to the assemblyof Fig. 1, a duplicate of said assembly as to all parts thereof except the shaft l and its two spur gears 2 and 3. The parts of said duplicate assembly to which are applied reference numerals with the suffix a added correspond, respectively, to the parts to which have been applied the same reference numerals without the suffix a; and with said duplicate assembly located just below the assembly corresponding to that of Fig. 1, the shaft I has its spur gear 2 also in mesh with the spur gear 3a and its spur gear 3 also in mesh with the spur gear 5a The upper one of the hereinabove described valve plates I9 is for the cylinder barrel H, and the lower one of said valve plates is for the cy1in der barrel Ila. As will be understood, other like valve plates will be present, each for one of the other six cylinder barrels.

The ports of the cylinder barrels 6a, m, Hid and I la, of which ports two are seen at 1811, are

90 out of phase with the corresponding ports Id of the cylinder barrels 6, 1, l0 and H. Synchronous rotation of the eight cylinder barrels causes reciprocations of the two piston-carrying cruciform structures l1 and Ila to be such that one of said structures may be said to lead its companion structure by 90 or one quarter revolution. As the set-up is shown, an upper cylinder barrel and the cylinder barrel directly below it rotate in the same direction. This is not a necessary restriction. If some other gearing were chosen such that, thesecylinder barrels would rotate in opposite directions, the only consequence of this would be that the hydraulic connections to one of the reciprocator units would have to be the reverse of the hydraulic connections to the other reciprocator unit.

Moreover, if the gearing between the two units of Fig. 4 were one of the differential type, a variable displacement pump could be provided wherein the phase relationship of one unit to the other could be continuously variable, so that the displacement of the pump could be varied by infinitesimal differences (in stepless increments) within wide limits during running of the pump. One extreme would be when both units are in phase, where the volumetric output would be the sum of the outputs of the two units and the other extreme would be where the units are out of phase by 180 and the output would be the output of one unit less the output of the other.

If the units were identical, the volumetric output could range from zero to twice the output of a single unit. One unit could be larger than the other, and in that case it would be possible to reverse the direction of flow.

Referring to Fig. 6, the structure here shown is inclusiveof a reciprocator unit which is substantially the equivalent of that of Figs. 1-3 with one pair of pistons inactive; that is, the structure of Fig. 6 is the same functionally as that of Figs. 1-3 although there are some minor structural differences. Actually, one pair of pistons and their cylinder barrels are omitted; so that included in the unit of Fig. 6 is only one pair of pistons, 33 and 34, together with their cylinder barrels, 35 and 36.

The shaft 31, corresponding to the shaft I, is, through a spur gear 38 fast thereon meshing with a spur gear 39, operatively connected with a pin carrier on which is fixed said gear 39; and, similarly, said shaft 31 is, through a spur gear not shown but also fast thereon and identical with the gear 38 and meshing with a spur gear 4|, operatively connected with a pin carrier 42 on which is fixed said gear 4|. The pin carriers 40 and 42 are, except for the difference in the pitch diameters of the bevel gears respectively shown as integral therewith, identical, and are suitably mounted for coaxial rotation. The pin borne by said carriers is designated 43. The opposite ends of said pin are contained in blind holes in the pin carriers, as shown in the case of one of said ends and its mating carrier.

Since, also, the gear 39 is identical with the gear 4!, the two pin carriers rotate in synchronism, and the center line of the pin 43 is translated in a circular path. Simultaneously, the pin carrier 40 drives the cylinder barrel 35 by way of a bevel gear 44 shown as integral with said carrier meshing with a bevel gear 45 fast on said cylinder barrel, while the pin carrier 42 drives the cylinder barrel 36 by way of a bevel gear 46 shown as integral with the last-named carrier meshing with a bevel gear 41 fast on the last-named cylinder barrel.

The piston assembly comprises merely the two pistons 33 and 34, both alike, with the axis of one aligned with that of the other, and with both rigidly oifset from an enlarged central portion. Said central portion is shown as in the form of a block transversely cylindrically apertured for rotatively embracing the pin 43. The pistons 33 and 34 are contained in eccentric bores in the cylinder barrels 35 and 36; said bore in the cylinder barrel 35 being designated 48. As in Fig. 1, each of these bores provides a cylindrical piston chamber parallel with but displaced from the longitudinal axis of the cylinder about which the cylinder rotates. The bevel gears are so inter-meshed that at all times during simultaneous rotation of the two cylinder barrels, the center lines of said chambers are aligned. Also, as in Fig. 1, each of said chambers has a port by way of which the said chamber may be connected to conventional valving means. Said port of the chamber 48 is designated I80.

In addition to the pin 43 being free to rotate in the block portion of the piston assembly, the piston assembly as a whole is slidable on said pin. Rotation of the shaft 31, and the resulting rotation of the two pin carriers 40 and 42 and of the two cylinder barrels 35 and 36, causes a relative motion between the piston assembly and the cylinder barrels which is a combined reciprocation and rotation, as Well as a sliding and rotation of the pin 43 relative to the piston assembly.

A housing 49 is shown, the same being illustrated as incorporating like oppositely located plain end caps 50 and 5| and also oppositely located like end caps 52 and 53 each containing a valve plate like a valve plate I9. The end caps 50 and 5| are placed adjacent the outer sides of the pin carriers 40 and 42, and the end caps 52 and 53 are placed adjacent the outer ends of the cylinder barrels 35 and 36. Ports 54 and 55 are for external plumbing connections to pressure and return. Hydraulic connections are from a port 56 to a port 51, and from a port 58 to a port not shown but directly under the port 51.

At 59 is indicated one of a plurality of bearings for a, cylinder barrel, and at 60 a bearing for a pin carrier. Various static case oil seals are provided, one of which is shown at 6 I.

As will be understood, some only of the many possible embodiments of the invention have been shown. They have been described with con siderable particularity of detail, not for purposes of limitation, of course, but to illustrate the various capabilities of the present invention. As will be understood, variations and modifications are possible, and parts of the improvements may be used without others. The scope of protection contemplated is to be taken from the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A reciprocator unit comprising the combination of a piston assembly incorporating a pair of pistons the center lines of which occupy a single plane; a pair of spaced rotatable cylinder barrels each coacting with one of said pistons, each cylinder barrel having a bore eccentric from and parallel to the longitudinal axis of said barrel thereby to form in each barrel in cooperation with one of said pistons a chamber of variable volumetric capacity, each of said chambers having an inlet port and an outlet port; means responsive to rotation of one of said barrels for effecting simultaneous rotation of both said barrels in synchronism; means carried by one of said barrels for rotation therewith; a shaft; an operative connection between the last-named means and said shaft whereby when the barrels 9, are rotated" said shaft is rotated and -whereby when said shaft is rotated said barrels are rotated; means responsive to rotation of said barrels for opening and closing said ports; and means including a housing for maintaining-said barrels in predetermined fields of operation such that each barrel is restrained against all degrees of freedom, except one, relative to the housing, which one degree of freedom is freedom of said barrel to rotate about its longitudinal axis.

2. A reciprocator unit comprising the combination of a piston assembly incorporating four pistons consisting of piston pairs the pistons of which pairs are mutually aligned, the center lines of all said pistons occupying a single plane; four rotatable cylinder barrels each coasting with one of said pistons, each cylinder barrel having a bore eccentric from and parallel-to the longitudinal axis of said barrel thereby to form in each barrel in cooperation with the said pistonassembly a chamber of variable volumetric capacity, each of said chambers having an inlet port and an outlet port and so adapted-to form part of a fluid conveying system; means responsive to rotation of one of said barrels for effecting simultaneous rotation of all four barrels in synchronism; a shaft; an operative connection between at least one of said barrels and said shaft whereby when the barrels are rotated said shaft is rotated and whereby when said shaft is r'otated said barrels are rotated; and means for maintaining said barrels in prevised fields of rotation.

3. A reciprocator unit comprising the combina tion of a cruciform piston assembly incorporating four pistons consisting of two piston pairs mutuallyperpendicular, the center lines of which occupy a single plane; four rotatable cylinder barrels coacting with said piston assembly, each cylinder barrel having a bore eccentric from and parallel to the longitudinal axis of said barrel thereby to form in each barrel in cooperation with the said piston assembly a chamber of variable volumetric capacity, each of said chambers having an inlet port and an outlet port; means responsive to rotation of one of said barrels for effecting simultaneousrotation of all four barrels in synchronism; means partially carried by one of said barrels for rotation therewith and partiall carried by another of said barrels for rotation therewith; a shaft; an operative connection between the last-named means and said shaft whereby when the barrels are rotated said shaft is rotated and whereby when said shaft is rotated said barrels are rotated; and means for maintaining said barrels in predetermined fields of rotation.

4. A reciprocator unit, for use as a working component either of a pump or of a motor, said unit comprising the combination of a plurality of piston and cylinder couples; means for causing a relative motion between each piston and its cylinder which is a rotary one and simultaneously a sliding one, said means including a piston assembly wherein said pistons are fixed relative to each other, said means further including a plurality of rotatable cylinder barrels each having therein one of said cylinders constituted as a bore eccentric from and parallel to the longitudinal axis of said barrel thereby to form in each barrel in cooperation with a diiferent one of said pistons a fluid reception and ejection chamber, each of said chambers having an inlet port and an outlet port; means responsive to rotation of one of said barrels for effecting simultaneous rotation of said barrels in synchronism; means carried by one of said barrels for rotation therewith; a shaft; an operative connection'between thelas -named means andsaid shaft whereby-when the barrels are rotated said shaft is rotated and whereby when said shaft is rotated said barrels are ro= tated; and means forop'eni-ng and closing said ports in timed relation to the rotation of said barrels when said unit is a workin component either of a pump or of a motor.

5. A reciprocator unit comprisingthe combina tion of a plurality of piston and cylinder couples; means for causing a relative motion between each piston and its cylinder which is a rotary one and simultaneously a sliding one, said means including a cruciform piston assembly incorporating four pistons consisting of two piston pairs inutually perpendicular,- said means furtherinclud= ing four rotatable cylinder barrels each having therein one of said cylinders constituted as a bore eccentric from andparallel to the longitudinal axis of said barrel thereby to form in each barrel in cooperation with one-of said pistons a chamber of variable volumetric capacity, each of said chambers having aninlet port and an outlet port; means responsive to rotation of one of said barrels for effecting simultaneous rotation of all four barrels in synchronisrrfime'ans carried by one of said barrels for rotation therewith; a shaft; and an operative connection between the last-named means and said shaft whereby when the barrels are rotated said shaft is rotated and whereby when said shaft is rotated said barrels are rotated.

6. A reciprocator unit comprising the combination of a pair of cylinder barrels; means for rotatively mounting said barrels with the axis of rotationof one aligned with the axis of rotation of the other, each barrel having a bore displaced from and parallel with its axis, each 'of said barrels having an inlet port and an outlet port for constituting the bore in that barrel a fluid receiving anddischarging chamber; a pair of pistons rigidly interconnected with their center lines aligned, one of said pistons being ineach of said bores; means responsive to rotation of said bar'- rels for causing a relative motion between said pistons and saidbores which is a combined'rotation and reciprocation; and meansresponsive to rotation of said barrels forpredeterrninedly opening and closing said ports.

. '7. A reciprocator unit comprising the combination of a pair of cylinder barrels; means for rotatively mounting said barrels with the axis of rotation of one aligned with the axis of rotation of the other, each barrel having a bore displaced from and parallel with its axis, each of said barrels having an inlet port and an outlet port for constituting the bore in that barrel a fluid receiving and discharging chamber; a pair of pisto rigidly interconnected with their center lines aligned, one of said pistons being in each of said bores; means for imparting a rotational drive to a barrel; operative connections between said barrels for insuring that when the barrel lastnamed is rotated both barrels will be simultaneously rotated in synchronism; and means responsive to rotation. of said barrels for causing a relative motion between said pistons and said bores which is a combined rotation and reciprocation.

8. A reciprocator unit comprising the combination of a pair of cylinder barrels; means for rotatively mounting said barrels with the axis of rotation of one aligned with the axis of rotation of the other, each barrel having a bore displaced from and parallel with its axis; a pair of pistons rigidly interconnected with their center lines aligned, one of said pistons being in each of said bores; means for guiding a fluid into and out of said bores, said means including inlet and outlet ports carried by said barrels; and means responsive to said movements of said pistons for causing rotation of said barrels thereby to set up a relative motion between each bore and the piston therein which is a combined rotation and reciprocation.

9. A reciprocator unit comprising the combination of a plurality of pairs of cylinder barrels; means for rotatively mounting said barrels with the axes of rotation of the two barrels of each pair aligned, the barrels of each pair being endwisely spaced one from another, each barrel having a bore displaced from and parallel with its said axis; means including inlet and outlet ports for serving said bores, said ports carried by said barrels; a piston assembly including a plurality of diverging pistons all rigidly interconnected, said pistons being in a plurality of pairs with the pistons of each pair oppositely extended, one of said pistons being in each of said bores; and means responsive to rotation of said barrels for causing a relative motion between said piston assembly and said bores which is a combined rotation and reciprocation.

10. A reciprocator unit comprising the combination of a plurality of pairs of cylinder barrels; means for rotatively mounting said barrels with the axes of rotation of the two barrels of each pair aligned. the barrels of each pair being endwisely spaced one from another, each barrel having a bore displaced from and parallel with its said axis; means including inlet and outlet ports for serving said bores, said ports carried by said barrels; a piston assembly including a plurality of diverging pistons all rigidly interconnected, said pistons being in a plurality of pairs with the pistons of each pair oppositely extended, one of said pistons being in each of said bores; and means responsive to rotation of said barrels for causing a rotation of said pistonassembly accompanied by a sliding movement of each piston relative to its associated bore, the means last-named including a gear train a difierend one of the gears of which is fixedly carried by each of the barrels.

11. A reciprocator unit comprising the comrels; means for rotatively mounting said barrels with the axes of rotation of the two barrels of each pair aligned, the barrels of each pair being endwisely spaced one from another, each barrel having a bore displaced from and parallel with its said axis; a piston assembly including a plurality of diverging pistons all rigidly interconnected, said pistons being in a plurality of pairs with the pistons of each pair oppositely extended, one of said pistons being in each of said bores; means for guiding a fluid into and out of said bores for thrust against and endwisely of said pistons to move the same, said means including inlet and outlet ports carried by said barrels; and means responsive to movement of said pistons for causing rotation of said barrels thereby to set up a relative motion between each bore and the piston therein which is a combined rotation and reciprocation, the means last-named including a gear train a, different one of the two gears of which is fixedly carried by each of two barrels, each or said barrels being a barrel of a different pair thereof, and a gear train a different one of the two gears of which is fixedly carried by each of the other two barrels.

12. A reciprocator unit as in claim 9, in which said piston assembly is cruciform with each piston constituting a different arm of the cross.

13. A reciprocator unit as in claim 9, in which said piston assembly is cruciform with each piston constituting a different arm of the cross, each of said arms being at a angle to an adjoining arm.

14. A reciprocator unit as in claim 4, wherein there are two of said barrels endwisely spaced one from another and there are two of said pistons.

15. A reciprocator unit as in claim 4, wherein there are two of said barrels endwisely spaced one from another and there are two of said pistons, the center lines of which are non-divergent.

16. A reciprocator unit as in claim 4, wherein there are two of said barrels endwisely spaced one from another and there are two of said pistons the center lines of which are aligned.

AUGUSTUS P. HENRY.

No references cited. 

